“Look, there’s a table for 8 free; perfect for you!” That was one of the first few formative sentences spoken by the staff as we arrived in Gaaf Alif Atoll at ROBINSON Club Maldives. “Well then, as long as there’s still something left at the buffet, we’ll grab something to eat!” As a good Swabian, I immediately joined the group of new arrivals. A few minutes later we’re seated at a round table for 8 eating pork knuckle and dumplings. It’s like the ROBINSON club’s German advertising slogan which states, “I went to seek foreign lands but found closeness & familiarity instead.”
“Dig in” and “Enjoy” exclaimed our table mates and I’m glad to be able to dive right in and immerse myself in my food for the next few minutes. I arrived at an all-inclusive club and although I’m usually not the type for this type of vacation, I did it. I love lonely islands, isolation or being with close friends and loved ones. I like exclusivity, tranquility and high standards. I actually prefer boutique hotels and spa resorts. But, I’ve made up my mind to often take a turn from familiar paths and try something new, especially when traveling. On this trip, my desire to try something new led us, for the first time, to an all-inclusive club.
At home in the presidential suite at ROBINSON Club Maldives
“¨”¨”It’s best to take your backpacks with you, you’ll travel along a different route to your accommodations!” said our guide. With our bellies full of German food, we did as we were told and without a clue we followed our host into the middle of the Indian Ocean. The destination is at the top of a ridge in the middle of the waves. Maybe you already saw how we arrived at the presidential suite on our snapchat. It felt a bit strange as we opened the doors and were allowed to choose between two bedrooms before jumping into our own huge infinity pool. I paused for the next few hours to listen to the waves – they’re much stronger, louder, and a deeper blue here. In the south of the Maldives the sea can also get wilder every now and then. The skies were also dramatic and wild in the following days. Water from below. Water from above. We had a power outage as the wind blew our snapbacks off our heads. THIS is a real Robinson Crusoe feeling if you ask us!
Pork with dumplings in the Maldives – the ROBINSON Club stays true to its name
With the motto “Time for emotions” ROBINSON has been inviting visitors to enjoy relaxing, all-inclusive holidays since the 70’s. At that time, the TUI hotel, Jandia Playa, was opened on Fuerteventura in cooperation with Steigenberger, and since then, ROBINSON has grow as a market leader known for quality in the all-inclusive club market. ROBINSON offers a sporty, entertaining and sociable holiday that you can enjoy with or without a child – alone or as a couple. You should definitely test it out!
Luckily dramatic coral bleaching has not yet propagated the Gaaf Alif Atoll, which is located in the far south of the Maldives. Thank God! It’s about an hour away from Male on a domestic flight if you can find it. The usual room standards like torches in the water and well lit beach bungalows were nowhere in sight. How would we find our way in the pitch-dark during the power outage? Bummer. Also, very soberly-German is the un-stocked minibar and the lack of bed decorations.
ROBINSON Club is sober and simple just like the Germans who comprise the largest portion of the resort’s guests. Also, just like in Germany, ROBINSON also has so-called “Gala Nights,” which are similar at every ROBINSON Club. The dress code is white – the food consists of several courses and if you want to sit at a table for two, in true German fashion – you should arrive early. The climax of the evening was achieved with a cruise ship-style conga line performed by the crew. They were all in full costume and dressed as sailors, captains, and the various crew members found on a ship. They formed a conga line and danced between the tables of our newfound holiday acquaintances or old ROBINSON friends. We sit with our new friends at the group table and treat ourselves to a little wine before heading to the main bar for a bomb and the dance floor, which was also waiting for us. After a confused look at the wine list (of course we expect Trollinger or Riesling because, after all, they don’t venture into the unknown here) we sip on the house wine from the “all-inclusive” menu. We are Swabians – and therefore known to be a bit stingy – after all!
Behind the scenes at a Maldives resort
We really enjoyed the continuous friendly and open treatment of the guests. The staff even regularly offered guided tours to the more “restricted areas” of the island. Tours were conducted by the club director himself. This is the first time we’ve experienced this level of access in such an attentive manner. We learned how the ROBINSON Club Maldives converts salt water into drinking water and how they bottle it, we learned how the generators that supply electricity looked (in emergencies they actually need real experts to handle those), and we saw how and where the staff on the island live. The following facts made my jaw drop:
- 4 tons of melons per month
- 3 tons of tuna per month
- 2 tons of bananas per month
” are being consumed in the ROBINSON Club Maldives
- There are 17 different nationalities among the staff
- 3000 liters of Diesel are used every day
- 800 AC units are changed out every year
Our Conclusion – Maldives as an all-inclusive vacation
My principle that Club vacations are not for me has not changed. Some stereotypes were actually confirmed, but these have to met with a huge grin. We would say that the ROBINSON Club Maldives is perfect for your first Maldives vacation. Basically, “Maldives for beginners.” It’s perfect for everyone who doesn’t want to have to speak a language other than German. And it’s perfect for people from Germany who enjoy spending their holidays amongst other Germans and have no problem engaging in small talk, even on their holidays.
We missed the feeling of distance a little because of the language and the German food. But, we were surprised by the prices, which were really good compared to a vacation in the Maldives at a typical resort.
Example of pricing – ROBINSON Club Maldives
Period of the stay: 01.11.2016 – 13.12.2016
Length of stay: 7 days
Housing: Garden bungalow
All-inclusive offer from ROBINSON including flight per person starting at 2.381,00 €
We found this offer directly on ROBINSON.
